Simple Analytics for Startups

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Published on Sep 18, 2023 by Iron Brands

Write with LAIKA is a startup that enables a unique writing experience. The company was founded by Martin Pichlmair & Charlene Putney. It stems from a university research project aimed at exploring the potential of computer-assisted writing.

This venture morphed into an online workshop series, which eventually gave birth to Write with LAIKA. The core team is completed with Riddhi Raj, a talented computer scientist and CTO.

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We caught up with Martin to discuss how he is using Simple Analytics to grow Write with LAIKA.

Let’s dive in!

  1. The Challenge: Balancing Analytics and Privacy
  2. Simple Analytics: A Solution for Privacy-Conscious Developers
  3. Demographics and User Interactions
  4. Impact and Results
  5. Upholding Privacy with Simple Analytics
  6. Final Thoughts
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The Challenge: Balancing Analytics and Privacy

While Martin was exposed to Google Analytics in his previous role in video game development, he never incorporated it due to privacy concerns.

His commitment to protecting user privacy was equally important when establishing Write with LAIKA, leading him to seek out privacy-friendly analytics. Thus, they found Simple Analytics.

However, prior to the adoption of Simple Analytics, the team had little visibility into how users interacted with their product. This lack of insight made it challenging to optimize their platform and improve the user experience.

If you are just starting out, it's very understandable that you employ Google Analytics since it's still the default analytics tool. However, if you care about your users and website visitors, there are other solutions like Simple Analytics that fit better.

Simple Analytics: A Solution for Privacy-Conscious Developers

Simple Analytics turned out to be a game-changer for LAIKA, providing valuable insights into user interactions and demographics without infringing on user privacy.

Simple Analytics does not use trackers or installs cookies in our visitors' browser unlike Google Analytics. A secondary benefit is that you don't have to show a cookie banner and enhance the user experience on your website.

Demographics and User Interactions

Simple Analytics offers a demographic breakdown of user locations, which LAIKA found to be incredibly useful. Fun fact, Simple Analytics does not use any trackers, cookies or other identifiers, but it can still provide a demographic breakdown based on non-personal data, such as the timezone. Here is how that works.

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Furthermore, LAIKA used Simple Analytics' event API extensively to track key user interactions and errors.

For instance, they track the types of files users upload for training. Analyzing this data revealed that two-thirds of uploads were of a specific file type, which helped them streamline their focus and address pertinent issues.

Impact and Results

The insights derived from Simple Analytics enabled LAIKA to make strategic decisions. The diverse geographic distribution of their website visitors indicated a need for additional language options beyond English. It also reaffirmed their hypotheses about platform usage, allowing them to continually refine their software based on these findings.

Upholding Privacy with Simple Analytics

For a company like Write with LAIKA, which is deeply committed to ethical AI practices, it is essential to use an analytics solution that respects users' privacy. Simple Analytics is the perfect fit, letting them monitor user interactions without overly intrusive surveillance.

It feels great to be able to track users without intruding too much on their privacy... we're putting a lot of energy into being the good guys – we need an analytics solution that is as considerate as our own product - Martin Pichlmair

For businesses that care about their users but still want to measure their website performance, Simple Analytics is the way to go.

Final Thoughts

Write with LAIKA's experience with Simple Analytics showcases how startups can leverage data analytics without compromising on user privacy.

The future of AI-driven content creation looks bright, with ethical companies like Write with LAIKA leading the way and tools like Simple Analytics enabling them to uphold their commitment to user privacy.

Feel free to give Simple Analytics a spin to see for yourself!

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